Brooke Elliott dishes Drop Dead Diva season 3!

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Drama, dancing & dreamy new men

With Drop Dead Diva returning with a guest-star-studded premiere on Sunday, June 19, Brooke Elliott looks back at how far Deb has come since she landed in Jane's body, considers Jane's future with Grayson and teases new romance, Grayson's tough road ahead, a big premiere dance number and more!

For readers needing a quick Drop Dead Divarecap before the season three premiere: Diva Deb Dropped Dead and came back in Jane's body. In exchange for her bangin' model body and bubbly brain, she now has Jane's plus-size bod and amazing lawyer brain. As fate would have it, Jane also just happens to work with Deb's true love, Grayson. Last season's finale saw Grayson taken out by a bus and while he will clearly survive the crash, the looming question remains: Will he stay with fiance Vanessa or recognize his true love Deb in Jane?

SheKnows: After three seasons, do you see your character as Deb or Jane?

Brooke Elliott: People call her Jane, but I call her Deb. It's Deb's soul, energy and spirit in Jane's body. Deb is charming, fun, sweet and can be naïve at times. She's got a lot to learn and in Jane's body, combined with these smarts and all these things Jane brings, you get this cool mixture, which is why it's fun to play. The original Jane was a little low-key. She put her confidence in quiet intelligence. She didn't have the theatrics that Deb has -- or I've given her! I like the drama Deb brings. What I love is when Deb finds her body beautiful or sexy in the bedroom. We talk very specifically about her wardrobe. We have to wear suits, but I want frills! I want bows! I want big jewelry -- things that are Deb-ish.

SheKnows: What can we expect from season three?

Brooke Elliott: Season one was a lot of firsts and trying to figure out, "What will I do with these situations I've never been presented before -- this new body, this new job and this new world?" Second season was, "Okay, I'm in this body and this new life, but I really want my old one. I want to be with Grayson: How do I make that happen?" Season three is: "Look at all the cool stuff that happens when I'm Jane. Look at how amazing, gorgeous and smart I am and how fun this is!" That becomes, "Do Grayson and I really belong together? If my circumstances change does the path I thought was clearly set for me change?"

Drop Dead Diva: Moving on

SheKnows: So Jane's efforts to reunite with Grayson will take a hit?

Brooke Elliott: No one doubts how much Jane's learned and Grayson needs to catch up with that. He might be taking two steps back this season, which totally affects Jane. She gets flirtier this year. She starts dating more. She wants to be with Grayson, but sees Grayson's in this terrible place and she's got three different people pursuing her. "Maybe I should go over here?"

SheKnows: Clearly, the overall Drop Dead Diva arc is for Grayson and Deb/Jane to find each other: What happens if Jane finds love with another high-chemistry match, like Tony (David Denman)?

Brooke Elliott: That's kind of what we see in season three. Someone comes along that makes you go, "Maybe it's okay that she doesn't end up with Grayson," but then there's also a part of you that goes, "No, come on! She has to be with Grayson!" Hopefully people will be in that struggle.

Drop Dead Diva: Beyond the Romance

SheKnows: How are Jane and her guardian angel Fred doing this season?

Brooke Elliott: We have a pretty serious scene in the hospital. Fred is the worst guardian angel on the planet. He couldn't be more self-obsessed or selfish, which is funny because Deb is supposed to be learning lessons about being self-obsessed or selfish.

Brooke Elliott: There are so many I didn't get to work with and favorite is not the easiest to define, but I love Tony Goldwyn. He plays one of Jane's exes, so Deb doesn't know who he is. He brought something so amazing to the show. Wanda Sykes was fantastic. She was hysterical and doing comedy with Wanda Sykes was a comedian's dream! Kathy Griffin was fantastic, but I didn't get to work with her. Kate [Levering] did, but I got to meet her and that was fun.

SheKnows: What can you tell me about the big dance number in the premiere?

Brooke Elliott: It's so much fun! I love Tyce Diorio (So You Think You Can Dance) and I love that he choreographs for us. It was a huge number, with all the nurses and every cast member, except for Josh Stamberg (Parker) who was shooting [J. Edgar with Leonardo DiCaprio and director Clint Eastwood]. Unfortunately for us -- amazing for Josh!

SheKnows: You've been everywhere lately: How have you handled the premiere press?

Brooke Elliott: I don't focus on that, because I have to stay in my world and I'm doing 15 hour days. I don't have a lot of time to see all of it, but I was reading Us Weekly and turned to my boyfriend to show him that Tori Spelling and Pink are pregnant -- I turned the page and it was my entire ad! Oh my God. It takes a second to go, "It's me. What is that doing there?"